
What is Poa trivialis grass?
Poa trivialis (often just called Poa triv) is a weed grass that you definitely don’t want growing in your fescue lawn. Poa trivialis, commonly known as rough bluegrass — and its cousin, Poa annua, commonly known as annual bluegrass — are among the most difficult lawn weeds to control and treat. What is Poa Trivialis?
What is Poa annua and Poa trivialis?
Poa annua and poa trivialis do have their own unique characteristics, but they are often bundled together and painted with the same broad stroke under the name “poa.” A winter lawn that is mostly a mix of poa annua and poa trivialis (light green) with occasional fescue growth (dark green).. How Did This Poa Weed Get in my Lawn?
How to get rid of Poa trivialis?
Getting rid of Poa trivialis from the lawn is done using post-emergent herbicides, followed by turf management to prevent the weed from regrowing. It’s challenging to get selective herbicides that kill rough bluegrass from cool-season lawns.
What is This POA weed in my lawn?
A winter lawn that is mostly a mix of poa annua and poa trivialis (light green) with occasional fescue growth (dark green).. How Did This Poa Weed Get in my Lawn? When we look at any weed issue that develops in a lawn, there are two key factors to consider: A. In what possible ways might this weed have been introduced to the lawn, and B.

How can I identify POA Trivialis?
Identifying Characteristics Folded in the bud, have pointed membranous ligule, lack auricles, have stolons, and can have a reddish hue to leaves and stems. Plants resemble annual bluegrass but grow in a round patchy nature and have stolons.
What is the difference between poa annua and Poa Trivialis?
Poa annua is an annual grass, that spreads by dropping seeds in the lawn each summer. Poa trivialis (or rough bluegrass) on the other hand is similarly light green in color but it's a perennial plant that comes back year after year once it initially makes its way into your yard.
What causes POA Trivialis?
It grows most aggressively when the weather is cooler and damp. Soils with lots of moisture tend to be the places that you'll see the largest strands of this grass. Because poa trivialis prefers that moisture, you'll also most likely find it growing in parts of your lawn with shade.
How do I know if my lawn has poa?
Leaves are light green, lack hairs, lack auricles, are narrow with pronounced mid-vein, and have a membraneous ligule that is pointed. Leaves are creased because they are folded in the butt and leaf tips are boat-shaped , which is characteristic of the genus Poa.
What herbicide kills poa annua?
Herbicides with Atrazine will both kill Poa Annua and work as a pre-emergent herbicide that prevents additional Annual Bluegrass seeds from sprouting. It can be used in spring, summer, or fall to prevent Poa Annua and broadleaf weeds at the same time.
How does poa grass spread?
Each plant can produce 100 seeds in as few as 8 weeks and poa can survive mowing heights of less than 1" and still reseed days after mowing. In winter, poa annua is more competitive than many turfgrass species and severe infestations can develop as seeds are spread by mowing, foot traffic, birds, and cultivation.
What kills poa annua post emergent?
If Annual Bluegrass or Poa Annua has already shown up on your lawn, use Blindside as a post-emergent treatment. Blindside Herbicide is a post-emergent herbicide designed to control over 70 different broadleaf weeds and sedges on warm-season turfgrass, including poa annua or Annual Bluegrass.
Will fescue choke out poa annua?
As stated in a Purdue Extension publication, from late fall into early spring, poa annua can and will outcompete all other types of turf. This can be detrimental to a fescue lawn in RVA because as baby fescue grass tries to develop after fall seeding, it is crowded out and killed off by the aggressively competing poa.
What soil temperature does poa annua germinate?
70o F.Poa annua Biology Poa annua is a winter annual that germinates in the late summer/early fall once soil temperatures fall below 70o F.
Can you dig out POA Trivialis?
Re: Get rid of Poa Trivialis Actually Pete used a product last year that does a quick burn of the leaves, but it does not kill the roots. And guess what happen, it returned. Glyphosate now in spring or digging 2+ inches deep is more effective (not 100% ).
How do I get rid of Poa grass in my lawn?
Most people choose to control poa annua with a pre-emergent herbicide. This is a herbicide that will prevent the poa annua seeds from germinating. For effective poa annua control, apply a pre-emergent herbicide in early fall and again in early spring. This will keep the poa annua seeds from sprouting.
How can POA Trivialis be prevented?
Nonselective control But even this is no easy task. Treating rough bluegrass with a nonselective herbicide in late summer aligns well with recommended fall seeding for cool-season grasses, but spring applications offer the best control.
What is triv in the lawn?
Poa trivialis (often just called Poa triv) is a weed grass that you definitely don't want growing in your fescue lawn. Poa trivialis, commonly known as rough bluegrass — and its cousin, Poa annua, commonly known as annual bluegrass — are among the most difficult lawn weeds to control and treat.
How do you get rid of POA Trivialis grass?
Roundup herbicide requires multiple applications over the infested areas to kill Poa trivialis. After applying non-selective herbicides to remove Poa trivialis, overseed with new grass seeds, or install sod to the treated areas.
Can you dig out POA Trivialis?
Re: Get rid of Poa Trivialis Actually Pete used a product last year that does a quick burn of the leaves, but it does not kill the roots. And guess what happen, it returned. Glyphosate now in spring or digging 2+ inches deep is more effective (not 100% ).
Is Kentucky bluegrass Poa annua?
Poa Annua, or annual bluegrass, is one of the most common grassy weeds in the United States. It looks very similar to Kentucky bluegrass, except it is a lighter shade of green, has a shallower root system, and develops a short seed head early in the season.
What is Poa Annua?
Poa annua and poa trivialis are two such weeds that develop in the fall and winter, potentially crowd out baby fescue grass that is also trying to develop just after germination, and throw many homeowners and turf management professionals for a loop when it comes to their control. “Poa annua” and “poa trivialis” are the scientific names ...
How to control poa annua?
By mowing at a high setting, watering deeply, and employing a turf management program like PPLM ’s that reduces compaction and thickens turf with organically based, carbon rich treatments, a lawn will be more habitable for the desired fescue and less habitable for undesired poa annua, poa trivialis, and other weeds. A healthy lawn is a happy lawn, and a happy lawn will have a better chance of keeping the poa at bay.
How Did This Poa Weed Get in my Lawn?
When we look at any weed issue that develops in a lawn, there are two key factors to consider: A. In what possible ways might this weed have been introduced to the lawn, and B. What about this lawn creates a habitable environment for this weed? In the cases of poa annua and poa trivialis, there is usually a straightforward answer for both questions.
What is the threat of PoA?
What Threat Will Poa Pose to my Lawn? While most weeds are more a symptom of a bigger lawn issue than an issue for the lawn themselves, poa annua and poa trivialis can in fact be a threat to a healthy lawn because of how aggressively it grows during the fall and winter.
What are the weeds in fescue grass?
It’s even worse when these winter weeds can pose a risk to newly developing fescue seed, not to mention when they end up being rather difficult to control. Poa annua and poa trivialis are two such weeds that develop in the fall and winter, potentially crowd out baby fescue grass that is also trying to develop just after germination, and throw many homeowners and turf management professionals for a loop when it comes to their control.
What weeds take advantage of bare spots?
In the meantime, weeds that take advantage of bare spots like crabgrass, dandelions, and others will develop continually during the spring and summer. Turf type tall fescue (dark green) being crowded by a mix of poa annua and poa trivialis (light green).
What is PPLM soil analysis?
PPLM Soil Sample FAQ Series, Part One: Professional Soil Analysis A soil analysis is testing performed on a sample of soil taken from a property . In addition to its usefulness in farming, turf management is a growing branch of agriculture that utilizes soil analysis data to perfect fertilizer programs for local service areas. For more … Continue reading
How long is the sheath of Kentucky bluegrass?
However, the sheath of roughstalk bluegrass is open 3/4 of its length, while Kentucky bluegrass sheaths are open 1/2 to 3/4 and fowl bluegrass sheaths are open more than 3/4 of their total lengths.
Where are the flower clusters on bluegrass?
The flower clusters (inflorescence) are found along flowering stem branches (panicle) like that of other turf bluegrasses. The overall the inflorescence form is lance to egg-shaped and about 3-1/5 to 10 inches (8–25 cm) with open branches that are spreading to ascending (rise at a slant).
What is the name of the grass that grows in California?
It is one of the three members in the genus Poa commonly found in turfgrass sites in California. The other two are Kentucky bluegrass, Poa pratensis, and annual bluegrass, Poa annua. Roughstalked bluegrass, P. trivialis, is a less desirable turf species that does well in moist, shaded areas but lacks heat and drought tolerance ...
What is the name of the grass with a boat shaped leaf tip?
The plant has a broad collar and a boat-shaped leaf tip that is characteristic of other bluegrass turf species.
What does a green stolons look like?
This golf course had a lot of rough bluegrass which created a perennial problem of summer decline in their fairways. Green stolons look like spaghetti. Green stolons look like spaghetti.
What is roughstalk bluegrass?
Identification: Roughstalk bluegrass is a cool-season perennial grass that can be found in both high- or low-maintenance turfgrass throughout the Midwestern United States. Though the plant looks like it has clumping growth patterns, the plant survives from year-to-year through creeping, above-ground stems called stolons, which spread easily throughout the surrounding turfgrass canopy. Seedlings of the plant are generally small and slow to establish compared to other turfgrass varieties. Despite being included in turfgrass seed mixtures for shady areas, roughstalk bluegrass is also a common contaminant of uncertified turfgrass seed mixtures, and will successfully germinate alongside the desired turf species with adequate soil temperature and moisture conditions. Roughstalk bluegrass leaves are folded in the bud with a membranous ligule that can range from absent to very distinct (long) in size (NOTE: when samples are sent to me for identification, it is usually the type with no or very short ligules). The presence of very small, scabrous hairs give the leaf surface and margins a rough feel, thus accounting for the common name ‘roughstalk bluegrass’. The plant has a broad collar and a boat-shaped leaf tip that is characteristic of other bluegrass turf species. The leaves are shiny, and are pale green or yellow-green in color, but they often turn red or maroon during periods of drought or heat stress. Seedheads are produced from mid-May through June in an open panicle similar to that of Kentucky bluegrass. Roughstalk bluegrass can remain green throughout the winter (with some minor leaf-tip burn) and during the summer months it generally goes dormant. Stolons can successfully germinate after many years of prolonged dormancy. It is often confused with other bluegrass species such as annual bluegrass, though it is considerably larger, and Kentucky bluegrass, though it is generally lighter green in color. Annual bluegrass is primarily bunch-type. Kentucky bluegrass has rhizomes (underground creeping stems). Roughstalk bluegrass can also be confused with creeping bentgrass which is also stoloniferous; however, creeping bentgrass is rolled in the bud while roughstalk bluegrass is folded in the bud.
How does a stolons plant survive?
Though the plant looks like it has clumping growth patterns, the plant survives from year-to-year through creeping, above-ground stems called stolons, which spread easily throughout the surrounding turfgrass canopy. Seedlings of the plant are generally small and slow to establish compared to other turfgrass varieties.
Is roughstalk bluegrass a weed?
Though roughstalk bluegrass can be found in landscapes, roadsides, meadows, and waste areas, it is primarily considered a turfgrass weed. It can successfully germinate in multiple environmental conditions, but it has a preference for moist soils and high levels of shade. This ability to successfully establish in conditions ideal for ...
Does rough bluegrass have auricles?
Most rough bluegrass samples have a small or absent membranous ligule with no visible auricle present. Heat stress in summer will start off as a purpling of the leaves. Patches of rough bluegrass turn brown. Eventually rough bluegrass patches will enter summer dormancy and appear dead.
Is roughstalk bluegrass a perennial grass?
This ability to successfully establish in conditions ideal for the growth and development of most turfgrass species, as well as its ability to spread throughout the turfgrass canopy by stolons, make roughstalk bluegrass a common turfgrass weed throughout the state of Indiana. Identification: Roughstalk bluegrass is a cool-season perennial grass ...
What is Poa trivialis?
Poa trivialis is a light green grass that creates thick mats of stems, choking out areas of lawn. Because of the off color and rapid growth it is aesthetically unappealing, as are the large bare spots it can leave when it goes dormant in summer.
What is rough bluegrass?
Rough bluegrass (also known as rough stem bluegrass) is a perennial grass somewhat similar to annual bluegrass. It’s tolerance for shade makes it particularly aggressive in shady lawns.
Can Poa trivialis be removed?
Due to the size of the seeds, Poa trivialis cannot be removed in the screening process that normally removes unwanted seeds and has contaminated a large portion of grass seed shade blends. The seed is also often missed during visual seed quality testing due to its similarity to the seeds of perennial bluegrass.
How does rough bluegrass spread?
After its introduction to a golf course, rough bluegrass usually spreads by vegetative propagules during aeration (Figure 1). It’s a lot like annual bluegrass (Poa annua), but with real stolons, none of the hype, and almost no effective chemical control strategies in cool-season turf.
How to control rough bluegrass?
Cultural management and growing environments are most important to consider in controlling rough bluegrass. Controlling rough bluegrass in a shady, damp locale likely is impossible, as it will outcompete other turfgrasses. Well-drained soils that are irrigated only to prevent severe stress of desirable species will make rough bluegrass less competitive, and should reduce infestations with time. One isolated study has reported reductions in small infestations of rough bluegrass seedlings with foliar Mg and Fe fertilization, but because there are no other reports of similar results it’s safe to consider this strategy ineffective.
Is Poa triv coming back?
However, if you achieve successful control, don’t forget about Poa triv. Much like Arnold Schwarzenegger in “The Terminator,” it will be back, with sequels. Cole Thompson, Ph.D., is an integrated turfgrass management specialist at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln.
Is Poa trivialis a perennial?
Rough bluegrass (Poa trivialis) is a perennial cool-season grass that’s a problematic weed in cool-season turfs.
Is rough bluegrass growing in fairways?
Figure 3: Patches of rough bluegrass growing in a perennial ryegrass fairway during summer that exhibit grainy growth (insert) and poor mowing quality. In any case, rough bluegrass most often isn’t noticed or even considered before its establishment is widespread.
